Despotism vs. Democracy – Where is America today?

I found this little gem on YouTube today and thought it deserved to be shared:

Once upon a time, the government knew that the real threat to democracy comes most often from within than from without. Contrast this video to Tom Tancredo’s latest paranoia-fest:

What a difference. The first video is warning us to beware of those who would set us against each other and spread fear and paranoia. Mr. Tancredo’s campaign ad is intentionally doing the opposite. He’s encouraging us to be afraid of “them”. Racism, fear-mongering and paranoia are the name of his game.

Not that any of the other Republicans are any better. Giuliani continues to beat the terrorism drum with his now-self-parodic “9-11 Tourette’s”; Romney increasingly is looking like a better-coiffed caricature of John Kerry, but without the military background; Huckabee, of course, does not believe in evolution and will thus soon become extinct; John McCain lost all credibility last night:

but of course, he still hasn’t promised to end the war, so he never really had any credibility to begin with. The rest are basically irrelevant, since none has a chance of being elected. The only Republican with any credibility at all is Ron Paul, who (imagine this) actually thinks the Constitution is the law of the land instead of a set of optional guidelines! Unfortunately, he isn’t being taken seriously by most “republicans” because he isn’t a race-baiting, fear-mongering, raving paranoiac Bush clone.

So, where is America today? How far down the slippery slope to despotism have we fallen? Only time, and the next election, will tell. Do we have the courage to stand up and say “no more” to the neocons and their radical, anti-American agenda of tyranny and hegemony? Or will we once again cave in to fear, hate and division and elect another Republican president?

I hope we find our collective balls and vote for freedom this time.

I wish Chuck Hagel (R-Neb) or Wesley Clark were running. Then there’d be a real Republican in the ring.